Photinia plant named `Colmont`

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Photinia plant named `Colmont`, characterized by its upright and uniform plant form; freely branching plant habit; short internodes; sharply serrated leaf margins; shiny dark red young foliage; and glossy dark green mature foliage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Photinia, botanically known as Photinia×fraseri, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Colmont.

The new Photinia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in San Antonio, Tex. The objective of the breeding program was to create new Photinias with darker green leaf color, longer-lasting red leaf color, better vigor, and better tolerance to high temperatures. The new Photinia originated from a self-pollination of the commercial Photinia×fraseri cultivar Birmingham (not patented).

The cultivar Colmont was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single plant within a population of 4,000 progeny plants in a controlled environment in San Antonio, Tex., in August, 1994. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable plant form and unique foliage coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new Photinia by termial cuttings taken in a controlled environment in San Antonio, Tex., has shown that the unique features of this new Photinia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Photinia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, light intensity, nutrition and water status without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of `Colmont`. These characteristics in combination distinguish `Colmont` as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Upright and uniform plant form.

2. Dense and bushy plants that are freely branching with short internodes.

3. Sharply serrated dark red young foliage and glossy dark green mature foliage.

Compared to plants of the Photinia cultivar Colango, disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/129,435, plants of the new Photinia are taller, more upright, less vigorous and have narrower leaves.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventors in San Antonio, Tex., plants of the new Photinia differ from plants of the parent cultivar, Birmingham, and plants of the commercial Photinia×fraseri cultivar Red Robin in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Photinia are more upright than plants of the cultivars Birmingham and Red Robin.

2. Plants of the new Photinia are more freely branching after pruning than plants of the cultivars Birmingham and Red Robin.

3. Plants of the new Photinia have shorter internodes than plants of the cultivars Birmingham and Red Robin.

4. Plants of the new Photinia have glossier and darker-colored foliage than plants of the cultivars Birmingham and Red Robin.

A detailed comparison of the cultivars Colmont, Birmingham and Red Robin appears in Chart A at the end of the specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Photinia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical containerized plant of `Colmont`. Foliage colors in the photograph may appear different from the actual colors due to light reflectance.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements, values, and comparisons describe plants grown in San Antonio and Keller, Tex., under outdoor conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions. Plants used for the description were grown in 25-cm containers and were approximately one year old.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Photinia×fraseri cultivar Colmont.

Parentage: Self-pollination of Photinia×fraseri cultivar Birmingham.

Propagation:

Type.--By terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.--Summer: About 56 to 70 days at temperatures of 29 to 35° C. Winter: About 84 to 112 days at temperatures of 22° C.

Time to develop roots.--Summer: About 100 to 120 days at temperatures of 29 to 35° C. Winter: About 134 to 160 days at temperatures of 22° C.

Rooting habit.--Numerous, fibrous.

Plant description:

Plant form and growth habit.--Perennial evergreen shrub, upright, uniform and dense plant habit. Moderately vigorous.

Branching habit.--Responds well to pruning; freely branching, typically about six lateral branches develop after removal of terminal apex.

Plant height.--About 84 cm.

Plant diameter.--About 68 cm.

Lateral branch description.--Diameter: About 1.25 cm. Internode length: Closely spaced; about 1.75 cm. Color: Woody: Close to 189A to 197A. Young: Close to 177A to 183A. Texture: Woody stems with lenticels; young stems, smooth. Lenticels: Oval in shape; less than 1 mm in length; dense; gray, close to 197A, in color.

Foliage description:

Arrangement.--Alternate, single.

Length.--About 9.4 cm.

Width.--About 3.2 cm.

Shape.--Oblong.

Apex.--Acute.

Base.--Attenuate.

Margin.--Sharply serrated.

Texture.--Leathery, tough, very durable; glabrous, glossy.

Aspect.--Slightly undulate.

Color.--Young foliage, upper surface; Shiny, 183A to 200C with dark red, 187A, tones. Young foliage, lower surface: Darker than 185A to 183B to 183C. Mature foliage, upper surface: Glossy; dark green, darker than 147A to 139A. Mature foliage, lower surface: Close to 144A to 146B to 146C.

Petiole.--Length: About 1cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Color: Close to 183A.

Flower description: Flowers insignificant and typical of species.

Natural flowering season.--Early spring.

Flower arrangement.--Flowers arranged in terminal corymbose panicles.

Flower appearance.--Single flowers, perfect; petals white to creamy white.

Disease resistance: No known Photinia diseases observed to date on plants grown under commercial greenhouse conditions. Plants of the new Photinia appear to be more tolerant to leaf spot-causing pathogens common to Photinias.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

                  CHART A                                                          ______________________________________                                         CHARAC-                  `BIRMING- `RED                                        TERISTIC   `COLMONT`     HAM`      ROBIN`                                      ______________________________________                                         GROWTH HABIT,                                                                             Upright       Outwardly Upright and                                 PLANT SHAPE              spreading outwardly                                                                      spreading;                                                                     open form                                   NUMBER OF  About 6       About 4   About 4                                     LATERAL                                                                        BRANCHES                                                                       FORMED AFTER                                                                   PRUNING                                                                        INTERNODE  About 1.75 cm About 2.25                                                                               About 3 cm                                  LENGTH                   cm                                                    LEAF ASPECT                                                                               Slightly      Concave   Concave                                                undulate                                                            LEAF MARGIN                                                                               Sharply       Serrate   Serrate                                                serrate                                                             LEAF COLOR,                                                                               183A to 200C  185A      178A                                        YOUNG, UPPER                                                                              with dark, red, 187A,                                               SURFACE    tones                                                               LEAF COLOR,                                                                               Darker than   184A/184B 178B                                        YOUNG, LOWER                                                                              185A to                                                             SURFACE    183B to 183C                                                        LEAF COLOR,                                                                               Darker than   139A      137A                                        MATURE, UPPER                                                                             147A to 139A                                                        SURFACE                                                                        LEAF COLOR,                                                                               Close to      146B/146C 146B/146C                                   MATURE, LOWER                                                                             144A to 146B to                                                     SURFACE    146C                                                                ______________________________________                                     

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Photinia plant named `Colmont`, as illustrated and described. 